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{{Archfiend| fgcolor=|
image=|
caption=|
 
name=Lamashtu|
title=She Who Erases<br>Demon Queen of Monstrous Births|
home=[[Abyss]]|
power=[[Demon lord]]|
gender=Female|
class=n/a|
alignment=Chaotic evil|
portfolio=monstrous birth and deformity|
domains=|
alias=|
super=None|
}}
'''Lamashtu''' is the demon queen of monstrous births, currently imprisoned by her former lover [[Pazuzu]].

==Description==
She is described as a wretched and deformed hag, well known for her bottomless hunger for the bones of pregnant mothers and newborn babes.

==Relationships==
''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #329 (2005) and ''Demonomicon'' (2010), list [[Pazuzu]] as Lamashtu's most notable enemy. She was once his consort, but she betrayed him by abusing her knowledge of his true name. In retribution, Pazuzu put out her eyes and banished her to the Abyssal layer of Torremor, in the sprawling construction known as Onstrakker's Nest.

==Realm==
Onstrakker's Nest is built on a towering spire from timber, bones, earth, and stone pillars, is hundreds of miles in diameter. Lamashtu is impaled on a gleaming spire.

In ''Demonomicon'' (2010), Lamashtu has recently gained control of Torremor, taking it from Pazuzu, though she has yet to escape from her prison. Despite her theft of his Abyssal layer, Pazuzu still only barely considers her a threat. He rarely visited Torremor regardless, preferring the skies above Pazunia. 

==Creative origins==
Lamashtu is named for a demon goddess in Mesopotamian mythology. Pazuzu was her rival, and frequently invoked to protect people from her predations. The historical Lamashtu is described as posessing a hairy body, a lioness' head with donkey's teeth and ears, long fingers and fingernails, and the feet of a bird with sharp talons. 

==Publishing history==
Lamashtu first appears in D&D in Dragon #329, and is also mentioned in ''Fiendish Codex I'' (2006) and ''Demonomicon'' (2010). 

Lamashtu appears as a major goddess of the Pathfinder campaign setting. There, she is described as resembling a heavily pregnant human woman with the head of a three-eyed jackal, a raven’s wings, a snake’s tail, and a vulture’s feet. She is given credit for the creation of any number of monstrous races, including [[gnoll]]s, [[minotaur]]s, and many more, often in myth mating with some beast to create bestial humanoid offspring.

==References==
=====Citations=====
<references />
=====Bibliography=====
*[[James Jacobs|Jacobs, James]]. "[[Demonomicon]] of [[Iggwilv]]: Pazuzu." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #329. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.
:———. ''Lords of Chaos''. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2010.

*Mearls, Mike, [[Brian R. James]], and Steve Townshend. ''Demonomicon''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2010. 

*Stark, Ed, [[James Jacobs]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.



== External links ==
{{External link disclaimer}}
*[[Wikipedia:Lamashtu|Lamashtu on Wikipedia]]
*[http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Lamashtu Lamashtu on the Pathfinder wiki]

[[Category:Archfiends]]
[[Category:Characters of the Abyss]]{{index}}